Steps
by winterwood11
Summary: She hated him. He hated her. But, they would figure each other out eventually. A collection of Draco/Hermione drabbles in the same timeline, but not in chronological order.
1. Hatred

This was written for the OTP Boot Camp challenge at HPFC, Hope you enjoy :)

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She hated him. That was the cold hard truth. But, why did she?

There were his infuriating smirks and sneers, his derogatory way of speaking to those he considered beneath him and the way he manipulated girls to get what he wanted. The worst part of that was when he was done with them; he would treat them like trash.

In Quidditch matches, he would always take things out of the way just to make things difficult for Harry. Things also went to a personal level when he taunted her of being a muggle-born, which hurt. She would never tell anyone, and would always hide the fact that it affected her. Not that she was ashamed of her parentage, but she could not possibly have chosen which family she would be born into. Blood statuses were just… unfair. She hated him for making her feel that way.

But as much as she hated him, she found him intriguing. Sure, he was a git, but surely there was some good in him? After all, he had spared Professor Dumbledore at the tower. According to Harry, he had even been crying! Yet, he was the same boy that insulted and taunted everyone, and called her a mudblood.

Draco Malfoy was an enigma. She hated him, but she would figure him out. She would make sure of that.

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	2. Helpless

His stomach churned. He just could not stand it. Why did she have to do it in front of him?

Draco tried his best to keep his face impassive as he witnessed the sight before him.

"No, no, stop…" Granger whimpered, close to tears. Bellatrix giggled in a deranged pitch of voice before sending another cruciatus her way.

Granger screamed.

Draco flinched.

Why should he even feel bad? This was just Granger, the mudblood who he had taken pleasure in tormenting at school. He should be happy, or at least indifferent. He could not bear to see anyone he knew being tortured, even if it was her. The first time he had crucio-ed Rowle… Draco felt sick just thinking about it.

"Tell me where you found the sword!" Bellatrix screamed in fury, grabbing Granger's chin and forcing her to look up.

"I-I told you, it's a fa-fake!" Granger cried out, the tears now pouring freely down her face. She looked at him for a moment, her eyes shining with tears, pleading for help.

Draco felt horrible for allowing this to continue before his eyes. But what could he do? He was a Malfoy. Malfoys were not to show weaknesses or any sympathy, especially not to their enemies! He had already done his best by not blatantly announcing that the trio were who they were, which he did not even know why he had done.

"Draco, why don't you help a moment?" His aunt turned to him; her eyes alight with both her delight in torturing someone, and anger. Draco gulped. He hoped it had nothing to do with torture or… he turned pale at the thought.

"Go down and bring the goblin to me." Bellatrix continued, before turning back to Granger, who now collapsed on a heap on the floor. "We will see if you're lying."

Draco sighed, partially in relief. It seemed like a reasonable benign thing to do. Turning away from Granger and his aunt gladly, he went down to the cellar.

"- sword is real, but tell her that it's an imitation!" Draco heard a rough whisper.

Draco cleared his throat as he went in the cellar, and Potter jumped away immediately. The others just stared at him in silence. He did his best to ignore the prisoners and went straight to Griphook at a brisk pace. He then grabbed him by the arm, directing him to come along with him. On his way out, Potter caught his eye.

That pleading expression again. What was with it and Gryffindors? Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Didn't they know he felt bad enough? Well, of course they did not. It was not as if they were clever enough to use legimency against him.

He knew exactly why Potter was pleading him. Firstly, not to tell the truth about the sword. Secondly, to let them out. Draco contemplated it seriously for a moment. As a master of the Malfoy house, he could remove the anti-apparation wards on the cellar. But no, that would be courting suicide. His parents would know immediately, and he would be labeled traitor. Then, he would suffer a fate worse than Granger's.

Draco turned away from Potter. He would not risk so much for them. He felt bad, yes, but he was definitely not stupid. He would not do such as rash thing just because he might feel like it. He would not rush into things like a bloody Gryffindor.

Draco made up his mind there and then as he walked back out. The secret about the sword was safe. Call him a coward, but he would not risk his life. He was not ready to die or switch sides. Draco was a Slytherin. Whatever side he chose in the end, it would be to safe his own neck, and not for some noble intention.

Unless her friends could find a way out, Granger would be helpless. But now that he thought about it, he was helpless too. Perhaps, even more. Granger had hope in the shape of her friends, but Draco on the other hand… He would have to hope for the best.

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I hope you enjoyed it. Please review? :)


	3. Eternity

Indifference

Eternity

Hermione Granger lay on the bed, gazing at her scar.

'Mudblood', it spelt out tauntingly.

Bellatrix's knife had been cursed with dark magic. The wounds could heal, yes, but the scar would remain there forever. There was no hiding it with a glamour charm, there was no hiding her blood status. It would be part of her forever.

Yet, it did not shame Hermione as much as she would have thought so. She was now filled with determination. For some reason, seeing the word on her arm made her accept it. She was a mudblood, so what? She could still do magic, better than her peers even.

The scar also spurred her on to want to win the war ever more than before. If her side lost the war, her scar would be a mark of inferiority. If her side won, she would be thought brave, just like a true Gryffindor.

Thinking about the sides, she thought of Malfoy.

She could remember the hesitation in his eyes when she had pleaded him. That was another proof that he was not completely bad. And he had denied that Harry was Harry at Malfoy Manor…

And now that she thought about it, he had his own scar. He had a dark mark. And his circumstances were the polar opposite of hers. If his side won the war, he would be superior and worshipped. If they did not, he would be treated as scum.

How intriguing.

But regardless of whatever happened, both of them would bear their scars for eternity.


	4. Want

This is written for the Taragh Word Limit Competition and the OTP Boot Camp, with the prompts 'that one thing' and 'want' respectively. I hope you like this :)

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Draco Malfoy was not easily impressed; in fact he was just the opposite. He assessed everything and _everyone_ with a critical eye. Draco considered himself an expert at analysing the character and personality of a person. On the whole, his first impression was always right; except for one person that had surprised him: Hermione Granger.

Draco had taken her to be just another inferior mudblood the first time he had met her; especially since she was a _Gryffindor_. Imagine his annoyance and irritation when she had scored higher than him in the examinations, to become top student of the year!

And then, in their third year, she had actually _slapped _him. No one, not even his parents, had hit him before. He had been positively furious with the girl. But he had to admit that it was since then that Draco had begun to keep an eye on Granger – she had spunk. It was not everyone who had the _foolish_ courage to hit him.

Four years down the road, they had met _again_. But this time… it had been different. Throughout the past two years of his life, he had begun to find her being less and less detestable. The blood that Granger had… it was the same as his, wasn't it? He had watched with a sick feeling as _crucio_ after _crucio_ had been casted on her – he remembered the screams that had came from _his_ first victim of the cruciatus curse - He was a _pureblood_, but it had been of the same colour as her's…

And now; after months and months of a cat-and-mouse game, Hermione lay next to him on his bed. Her chest rose and fell with each breath she took, as she slept serenely. Who would have ever thought that the two of them would be together? In fact, it was probably highly improbably for the two to have even become _friends_. Draco was not one for being overly romantic, but he had to say that Hermione was different from the rest; she was _special_.

The other girls had fallen at his feet and catered to his every whim and fancy. While that was useful for delegating, Draco had found it boring. He particularly hated it when they followed him everywhere, like a lost puppy.

Some of the stronger willed ones, such as Pansy and Astoria, he had considered being with. But Pansy was a little too clingy for his liking. Astoria was nice; she was quite intellectual and could keep up with him. But, she didn't have a _spark _in her.

Hermione possessed… Draco didn't really know how to phrase it. Draco wanted someone who was smart and could debate _intelligently_ with; he wanted someone who would give him space. But most of all, he needed somebody who understood his pain during the wizarding war without either having to verbalize it.

Draco would _never _admit it, lest it sounded too clichéd or sappy - but he needed someone who _cared, _not just about his money, but him. That was perhaps, that one thing that only Hermione did among all the girls Draco had dated.

He looked at the girl before leaning down to give her a light kiss on the forehead. Her eyelids fluttered as she stirred for a moment. As she lay next to him, Draco realised that he loved Hermione – all of her.

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Well... this is probably a big jump from the rest of the drabbles so far - but the prompts called for it ;) Please review? It would make my day :D


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